ROCKLAND, Maine — A 32-year-old Spruce Head man entered not guilty pleas Monday to charges that he sexually assaulted a young girl repeatedly back in 1999 and 2000.

The arraignment for John P. Thompson IV was held in Rockland District Court on Monday. He was represented by attorney Robert Levine of Rockland.

Knox County Sheriff’s Office Detective Justin Twitchell issued a summons to Thompson on Aug. 8 for sexual abuse of a minor. On Wednesday, the district attorney’s office filed a criminal complaint in court accusing Thompson of six counts of sexual abuse of a minor. No information was available Monday concerning why the charges were being brought forth more than a decade later.

The complaint alleges that the victim was a 14- or 15-year-old girl and that the offenses occurred from Nov. 1, 1999 through April 1, 2000 in Spruce Head. Thompson was 19 and 20 years old during that time period.

District Attorney Geoffrey Rushlau said he would not discuss a pending case but noted that the Maine Legislature twice amended the statute of limitations for sexual assault cases in which the victims are juveniles.
Those changes were made in the 1990s, he said, and affect gross sexual assault, unlawful sexual contact and sexual abuse of a minor cases so that there is no statute of limitations.